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It was a tail warning RADAR not a section of the Chain Home system it weighed about 25 pounds Tail warning radar on P-51 ? The extra tank behind the pilot was fitted early on and retro fitted in the field to all. If he didn't like it he should have told the ground crew to leave it empty and practiced swimming.Dunn's main gripe with the Mustang was the tail-warning radars installed in later versions, which ruined it's handling, in his eyes. He didn't like the Air Force adding all kinds of "extraneous" crap on basically great aircraft. IIRC, the tail-warning radar was nearly 400 lbs., which would screw up COG and other important things, along with the extra fuel tank behind the pilot. I've got his book around here someplace.
Resp:Doesn't say which model the 190 is
I too was surprised that the P-47 could out turn the FW190 at nearly all altitudes. And this test should not be affected by the combat experience (or lack thereof) of the two pilots. Never would've guessed. Also, was a surprised at the climb difference and that the P-47 could catch up and pass the 190. Though if a FW190 was on your tail, going into a climb in a P-47 would not be advised as the 190 would close quickly and get the shot. That's where you'd point the Jug to the ground and fall out of the sky like a brick.
I suspect the FW190 was pretty dated by the time the test was completed (shipment time to US, etc).
The date of the tests was not provided. But since the P-47 had water injection I assume it was late 1943 at earliest.
In the same book I read of where a P-47 engaged a bunch of FW-190's all by himself. He used water injection and although hit a number of times did finally succeed in escaping into the clouds and making it home.
Resp:Depending which report you look at, it was a converted fighter bomber, as well as potentially having a rough running engine. I think during the Navy test the BMW inexplicably quit at one point, and seemed to have a vibration problem. This is of course, assuming that it was the same aircraft in both tests, which is probably likely.
In July of 1942, the RAF held a trial between a captured Fw 190A-3 and their shiny new Mk.IX Spitfire. At that time, the A-3 model could be considered as cutting edge-ish. Below 23000 feet, the Focke Wulf actually managed to keep pace whilst climbing, although the Spitfire was considered to be a slightly better climber. As far as maneuverability, the Focke Wulf was considered to be better than the Spitfire, except in turning circles.
I don't think a 1943 P-47 would be able to keep pace with a climbing Spitfire Mk.IX below 25000 feet, nor would it be able to out maneuver one, with the exception of slight roll advantage (P-47 will out roll a Mk.IX, but only above 300mph, whereas a clipped wing Spitfire will out roll a P-47)
So while the results of the test in the original post are interesting, I don't think they reflect a contemporaneous match up. Above 25000', however, the P-47 will start to pull away from pretty much everything.
Edit: Further research indicates that the aircraft used in the US trials was a G-3, W.Nr.160057 with ballast added to the wings. an A-5 or A-6 would have presented a better air-to-air comparison for late 1943
Other than protecting or attacking heavy bombers and the occasional high altitude photorecon, wasn't most combat in Italy low to medium altitude tactical work? Maybe not to be judged by 8th AF standards. I mean, didn't Alison powered dive bombers score over a hundred kills in a relatively small area and time period?It too was well below below the altitudes normally flown in the ETO. Not sure what the normal altitudes flown were over Italy
Resp:Other than protecting or attacking heavy bombers and the occasional high altitude photorecon, wasn't most combat in Italy low to medium altitude tactical work? Maybe not to be judged by 8th AF standards. I mean, didn't Alison powered dive bombers score over a hundred kills in a relatively small area and time period?
HI guys, I have a question. A few years ago I put together a timeline for
the P-47. My question is, when did Republic begin installation of the
water injection system to the Thunderbolt on the production line?
Dean states in AHT on page 289 that the D-20RE in November 1943
is the first. On the 368thfitergroup.com site under the heading ' The
Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, "The Big Beautiful Jug", it is listed that the
D-4-RA and D-5-RE were the first.
I know somebody here has that answer. Please list source if you have
an answer.
Thanks in advance, Jeff
Resp:The 325th FG was the only 15th AAF unit to fly P-47's escorting the heavy bombers into southern Europe, and they converted to P-51's in the spring of '44. All other P-47 units in the MTO were with the tactical 12th AAF. So very high alt missions were probably not the norm for P-47's in the MTO.